


Sixteen, Clumsy, and Shy

by asweetandtenderhooligan



Category: The Smiths
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Johnny Marr - Freeform, M/M, Marrissey, Morrissey - Freeform, The Smiths - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-07-11 12:43:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7052017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asweetandtenderhooligan/pseuds/asweetandtenderhooligan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morrissey is an introverted teenager in high school while Johnny Marr is your typical high school stoner rebel. They are polar opposites, yet they both feel drawn to each other. Will they ever work out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Encountering a Sweet and Tender Hooligan

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a lot of these chapters in the same sitting and I often write them in pairs. I now have a co-author (no account), so I'll try to post as much as I can. Both are juniors in high school, by the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to edit the title, I wanted to mess around a little bit with the titles (as you all can guess by some of the others).

It was the first day of school and Morrissey was dreading the thought more now than ever. But, he knew attending school was mandatory and dragged himself out of bed, got dressed, and styled his quiff the way he liked it before walking out the door.  
Upon arrival, he darted straight to the library; in order to get through the worst day of the year, he was going to need plenty of books to entertain him in between lessons. To his surprise, multiple people were already in line, but he decided to wait anyway; how was he to get through the day without a single book?

He took his place in line, hoping he wouldn't be late to his first class; first impressions are everything, after all. After about 10 minutes, he began to hear the contents of a loud conversation at the front desk of the library between a boy and the librarian.  
"Hi, uh... I'd like to check out, uh... Catcher In the Rye. I was told I'd need it for, uh... English. Yeah, English." 

The librarian looked disgusted. "You need to leave, right now."

"What's the fuckin' problem? I just want to check out a book for class."

"You're clearly stoned and you're now using profanity. Leave now before I call the police." Frustrated, the boy stormed away from the front desk. In a blind rage, he tripped over Morrissey's foot in the process, shouting, "Get out of the way next time, asshole." before exiting the building altogether. 

'What a charming young man," Morrissey thought sarcastically. Doing drugs was never his idea of "fun", but he couldn't help but smile at the thought of rebellion and coming from that boy, it seemed to be not as bad.  
Finally. Morrissey made it up to the front desk and checked out some books and ran off to his first class of the day.

Just in time, Morrissey slinked into one of two empty seats in the middle of the classroom. He looked around and recognized a few people from previous years: up front was a girl by the name of Angie. She was outgoing and very kind, so perhaps group work wouldn't be overly unbearable after all. Towards the back were Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce. They were the epitome of testosterone; manly, athletic, homophobic, and just... Bullies. He was hoping to avoid them at all costs; they had picked on him for years for always reading alone, usually calling him a "fag" in the process.

The bell rang to signify that class had begun and the teacher walked up to the front of the classroom. "Hello, I'm Ms. Branka and I'll be your English Honors teacher for the rest of the year," she started, "You will NOT talk out of line, things will be done my way and not any other way. There will be no eating, no drinking, and no gum chewing." At that moment, you could hear someone swallow their gum. "Aside from those things, this class will be very project based and I will try to make it as fun as possible, okay? Okay. And tomorrow, we're going to start the year with a project to get to know the people around you. So tomorrow, remember to find a partner, okay? Okay." 

Ms. Branka walked over to her desk to take attendance. Morrissey could already tell this year was going to be hell for him. The teacher was awful, rude, and ugly; all he wanted to do was leave. But knowing he couldn't, he instead opened up one of the books he checked out from the library to help get him through the remaining minutes of class, that is until Ms. Branka opened her big mouth again, "Steven?" No response. "Steven? Steven Morrissey?" He rolled his eyes. "Present," he stated reluctantly.

"Mr. Morrissey, why didn't you respond when I called you the first time?"

"Because I don't like the name Steven. Everyone calls me Morrissey." 

The vile woman pursed her lips together in disgust. "Fine, Morrissey. Respond the next time I call on you." 

After continuing with attendance, they were told to turn their Summer reading packets and were excused to go to the next class.

After school, Morrissey ran down to the library and sat down in a seat that connected to the back wall, hiding himself from most of the school. But before he could past the first chapter, a shadow appeared and with it brought a familiar, yet slightly unwelcoming voice. "Why'd you trip me earlier, asshole?" The voice said, revealing that it was the stoner boy from earlier. He was looking down at him in an angry manner and he knew this wouldn't bring pleasant news. 

"I, uh... I didn't trip you. I'm sorry about your fall, though," Morrissey mumbled, slowly bringing himself to look up at the boy. The boy's expression suddenly changed; he now had a look of what appeared to be admiration. His eyes widened and he suddenly seemed lost. 

"I, uh... I'm sorry," he stuttered, "I must not have seen where I was going." 

Morrissey smiled. "It's okay, I was actually terrified that you'd ask me to fight. I'm not very confrontational and I'd much rather read this book..."

"Nah, it's okay. I'm sorry for calling you an asshole."

"It's quite alright, it was just amusing to watch because you were stoned." Both boys laughed about it. "Well," Morrissey continued, "Have you got a name? Or am I going to deem you Stoner Boy?" 

The boy chuckled. "Johnny, Johnny Marr."

"Johnny... Pleasure to meet you."

"Now do YOU have a name? Or am I just going to have to call you Asshole?" 

Morrissey grinned at Johnny. "Morrissey."

"Morrissey? What kind of name is THAT?" 

He rolled his eyes playfully at Johnny. "Mine." Johnny shook his head with laughter; he couldn't believe how stubborn Morrissey was. "Alright, alright," he continued. "It's my last name, comes from Ireland, you see. My birth given first name is Steven, but I can't stand that name... Everyone just calls me Morrissey."

"Alright, Morrissey," Johnny started, "It was alright talkin' to ya', but my buddies wanted me to smoke some pot with them and I don't want to pass up the opportunity. I'll see ya' around," Johnny said, patting Morrissey's shoulder and winking at him.

"Oh yeah, uh... See you," Morrissey responded timidly. He actually enjoyed talking to the guy, but there was something off about him and he couldn't figure out what it could possibly be. He dismissed that feeling and continued to read. Perhaps this could be the start of a new friendship?


	2. Boy Eraser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I made some edits to this chapter. I felt certain things were necessary to make the chapter a little more clear. Hope you guys don't mind!

Johnny walked out of the library, still thinking about Morrissey. 'Damn, he's good-lookin'!' he thought to himself, 'there's no way a smart, handsome guy like that would ever show any interest in me.' 

As he walked through the school to meet his friends, he thought intently about the features of that peculiar boy: his sparkling blue eyes that gave him heart palpitations, the interesting quiff that made him stand out, his slim and very formal stature... Morrissey was the most beautiful human being he had ever seen; all he could possibly want was to see him again. He realized that Morrissey had taken residence in his heart and his mind... And he was there to stay.

He approached his friends Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce at a lot that had one solitary tree in the center, surrounded by grass, shrubs, and a broken white picket fence. "Hey guys," Johnny said to them quietly, joining the two behind the tree. 

"Hello," Andy and Mike replied in unison. Mike started to roll up a joint while Andy pulled Johnny aside to talk.

"You alright? You seem different."

"I'm just fine."

"Come on! You look bloody love struck."

"Eh, I just saw this good-lookin' gu- girl in the library, that's all."

"Fuckin' hopeless romantic, she probably didn't even notice you."

"Piss off, Andy. I'm not a bloody romantic and besides, I was noticed." Johnny looked down and away from his friends. "At least, I hope I was noticed," he muttered under his breath. 

Mike called to them from behind the tree, "Come 'ere guys! I got the bloody thing lit!" Both Andy and Johnny shrugged and went over to Mike.

They all plopped down behind the tree and began sharing the joint. As Johnny took a hit, he could feel it enter his lungs, bloodstream, and soon after, his mind, freeing him from almost any sort of natural emotion. But no matter how liberated he felt from life's complexities, Morrissey still haunted his mind. Not remembering where he was or who he was with, he sighed to himself, "I wish he'd notice me." Mike looked over at him, jaw dropped, eyes widened. All he could do was yell, "What on Earth did you just say? Are you a fucking fag?"

"What? Of course not! I'm not a bloody fag!"

"Could've sworn you just said 'I wish he'd notice me.' Only fags say those things, and you know what we do to fags?"

Andy chimed in, "Mike, don't... Not now."

"Why the hell not? He's clearly into guys and needs to be taught a lesson."

Johnny shook his head in disbelief. "Look, I'm not gay. Can we just enjoy ourselves here?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "Fine," he stated coldly before taking a hit off the joint, "but I don't want to hear that you're into guys, you got that?"

"Whatever." Johnny stood up pulled a cigarette out of the pack in his pocket and lit it before leaving. "See you 'round, boys. I'mma head home." 

Andy stood up and shook his hand, "See ya', man. Don't get caught." Mike was next, he stopped smoking and said, "Later." Johnny put the pack back into his pocket and started to walk home.

"Some friend Mike is," Johnny grumbled to himself, "so what if I like a guy? It shouldn't matter who I like... I've never even like a guy before until Morrissey... I'm so fuckin' confused, I can't deal with this shit right no-" He paused when he heard giggling from behind him; he turned around a saw a girl, laughing quietly, looking directly at him. "Hi, um..," he began, "Did you catch an' of that?" The girl nodded, and Johnny blushed. "Oh, uh... I'd like it if you didn't tell anybody, I have no idea what I'm feelin', and I don't want anythin', ya' know... Gettin' 'round." 

She laughed, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." I just found it funny since you're supposed to be Mr. Cool Tough Guy. Super into smoking pot, too cool for school, doesn't take shit from anybody and all the girls are super into you. Well, most girls. I, for one, was more into Morrissey as well. But don’t worry, I won’t compete."

"Alright, thanks."

"You're welcome. That Morrissey, he's quite the character. All he did was read and sass the teacher in English Honors today. It was cute, in a strange way."

"English Honors, eh? Ah fuck, Asshole's got brains... I should start callin' him Nerd now." Johnny trailed off into his own thoughts for awhile until he had an idea. "Say, um... Is there still room in your English Honors class?"

"There's one open seat left, why?"

"I'm not very good at English, but um... I was thinking about joining the class to get a chance to see Morrissey more often."

"Well, maybe you should try! There is only one spot left, you know."

"Alright, I will! Oh, uh, what was your name? I'll look for you in class."

"Tina Dehghani."  
"Nice to meet ya', Tina. I'm Johnny Marr. I'll see ya' 'round school, then. I've gotta get home."  
And off Johnny went to his house, wanting the day to end in excitement of tomorrow. Johnny wasn't sure why he felt the way that he felt about Morrissey, but he need something needed to be done about it.


	3. How Much I Love Your Casual Way

The bell for the first class of the day rang, indicating the hour of Hell was upon Morrissey. He sunk into his seat and began reading yet again. All he could hope for was for something interesting to happen in order to make class more interesting: a fire, a fight, Ms. Branka kicking the bucket which would liberate the students from the Hell they were subjected to. Just as Morrissey considered standing up and dropping his trousers to the teacher, his wish came true.

The classroom door creaked open and a reluctant boy poked his head through the door, looking down at his schedule. "Is this, um... English Honors with Ms. Branka?" he asked. 

She rolled her eyes at the boy. "Yes, you're late," she spat, "you must be the new boy."

"I am, yeah."

"Alright, the only seat available is next to Steven-"

"Morrissey," Morrissey hissed, "Stop calling me Steven." 

Ms. Branka shook her head in annoyance. "You will be seated next to Morrissey. What is your name?"

"Johnny, Johnny Marr." Morrissey looked up when he heard the name. 'That strangely charming delinquent is in English Honors?' he thought to himself, 'Why would anyone subject themselves to this kind of torture? Has he gone mad?'

"Alright, Johnny. Take your seat next to Morrissey."

"Okay." Johnny walked over and sat in his seat when he could hear whispering from behind him, "Psst!" He looked behind him to see who it could possibly be; it was Mike.

"Psst!" Johnny rolled his eyes and turned around, "What do you want?"

"Why are you here?" Mike questioned, "I thought you were in the stupid class!"

Morrissey didn't like what he was hearing and stepped in, "I think you'd be doing us all favor if you silenced yourself, thank you kindly."

"Who's this? Your boyfriend?" Mike retorted, hoping to make Johnny mad, "Morrissey's a fucking fag. Why are you sitting with him anyway?"

"Piss off, Joyce," Johnny replied. 

Morrissey decided to step back in, "Yeah, why don't you-"

"I can handle it myself, asshole," Johnny remarked coldly. 

'Why was Johnny acting like this?' I know the term "asshole" was endearing coming from him, but his tone didn't show much the sentiment behind the word... I thought we were friends?' Morrissey recalled.

"I was just trying to help."

"Save it, fag."

Morrissey could feel his heart shatter into a million little pieces; the boy he thought he could befriend betrayed him... He finally remembered why he never bothered with anyone.

Before it could get any worse for him, Ms. Branka opened her mouth once more. "Alright, class. We're going to begin the partner project I mentioned yesterday, so go around the room and find someone to work with."

Morrissey had been so hurt by Johnny's words that he didn't want to be anyone's anything; he was going to wait until one poor soul didn't have a partner and was forced to work with him. He turned around and saw Johnny talking to Angie. Bored out of his mind without anything to do, he decided to listen.

"Hi Johnny," Angie said, smirking to herself, "I was wondering if you wanted to be partners for this assignment.

"Thanks, but um..." he looked over at Morrissey. 

'He looked at me. His earthy, heart-warming brown eyes locked with mine... Now why on Earth would he look at me with such kindness, especially after such a horrid encounter?' he thought.

"...I'm working with Moz." Angie frowned, nodded, and walked away. 

Morrissey nearly choked. "Moz? I've never heard that one before." Morrissey stated, secretly enjoying the nickname.

"Do ya' mind if I call ya' 'Moz'?"

"I suppose it's alright, but I figured you would have went with something a little more vulgar. Something along the lines of 'asshole' or 'fag'. And besides, why would you ever want to work with someone like me?"

"Because you're my friend, Moz." 

Morrissey laughed sarcastically. "Friend? Calling a person a 'fag' or 'asshole' is NOT the way you treat a 'friend'."

"Look, Moz. I was standing up to them. Andy is an okay guy but Mike? He's an asshole, okay?"

"Whatever."

Shortly after that discussion, a girl approached Morrissey. "Hey Morrissey! Would you like to be partners for this project?"

Johnny recognized the voice anywhere; it was Tina.

He smiled at her and when he opened his mouth to respond, he glanced over at Johnny. Johnny smiled and nodded at him, nudging for him to accept Tina's partnership but his eyes revealed a subtle sadness, something that rarely showed itself on the surface; Johnny was trying to hide it. Suddenly, he felt bad and knew what he had to do.

"My apologies, Tina," he started, "but Johnny asked me prior to you getting here. Angie is still without a partner and I'm sure she would be honored to accept your partnership." 

Tina grinned at him. "Okay," she replied, now turning to Johnny. 

She leaned in and whispered, "I hope you get the boy." Johnny blushed, hoping Morrissey didn't hear what was said. 

"Um... Thanks," he uttered back as she walked away.

The two sat in silence for the rest of the period, Johnny playing with a pencil and Morrissey reading. At some point, Morrissey decided to look at Johnny and examine the features of the rebellious and very brash boy.  
He had beautiful brown eyes and a suedehead style haircut, not usually something he was into, but it fit Johnny well. He wore a leather jacket and faded jeans, both screaming "casual rebellion". But he also wore a pair of dress shoes that indicated he had a sense of attire. He had a pair of shades in his left pocket, probably something he wore when he gets high before entering school grounds. And last of all, he was short, much shorter than Morrissey was; this would account for the "tough guy" attitude. Overall, Johnny Marr was pleasant to look at. That, he could not deny. He almost wished he could look at him all day; Morrissey could feel himself getting lost in thought until Ms. Branka called on him. 

"Are you going to answer me or are you too busy staring lovingly at Johnny?" she remarked, making the class snicker, Morrissey look down, and Johnny blush, "who is your partner for this assignment?"

"Johnny Marr."

"Alright. Class, don't forget that this assignment is due on Friday, giving you two full days to work on this. There shouldn't be any reason as to why this isn't done by Friday."

The bell rang and the two boys rose out of their seats. As Johnny was walking out the door, Morrissey gripped his arm to slow him down. "Johnny," Morrissey called, "want to work on the project after school today?" Johnny looked around to see if Mike and Andy were around, but they were nowhere to be found.

"Sure," he replied, "where do you want to meet?"

"Let's meet in front of the library."

"Alright, I'll see ya' then, Moz."

"See you then, Johnny." Morrissey smiled and walked away, he was actually excited to get to know this handsome ruffian.

After school, Morrissey approached the library only to find a very bored Johnny Marr. "Where have ya' been?" Johnny asked, "I've been here for almost 10 minutes."

Morrissey was shocked! Someone like Johnny, on time?

"My apologies. You just seemed like the type of guy who usually shows up late to everything because you have 'better things to do' with your time."

"I just want to get this project done. The sooner we finish this project, the sooner I can smoke pot with my friends," Johnny said, looking away and casually looking back to see Morrissey's reaction.

He laughed, "Agreed. Let's get this done so you can go out and I can read."

Johnny laughed and playfully punched his arm, "What a nerd. Don't ya' have a life to live?"

Morrissey laughed, "Very funny. Now aside from your stabbing jests, where would you like to go to do this project?"

"Hmm... Well, my house is across town from here and I don't feel like walking all the way down there."

"If you want, we can always go to my house; I live just down the road."

"Okay, your place it is then."

"Sounds like a plan!" 

Both boys began walking in the direction of Morrissey's home, speed walking in order to get there faster. After all, both boys had plans for the rest of their days.


	4. Hand In Glove

Morrissey and Johnny approached the concrete steps to Morrissey's house. Johnny decided to study the house: it was light blue, similar to that of the sky. It was a single story home; very fitting for a guy like him. 

"Welcome to my humble abode," Morrissey said, grinning before unlocking and opening the door to his home. He led the way through the living room, into the kitchen, and last of all, his bedroom. Johnny was intrigued: he spotted multiple records and a record player and got very excited. 

"Hey Moz, you don't mind if I browse through your records, do ya'?" 

Morrissey blushed. "You can look, but my collection is a little embarrassing."

"Ah, come on! I don't think it can be that bad!" He began to snoop through Morrissey's records and found that his collection mostly consisted of girl pop groups and The New York Dolls; Johnny was happy to know that someone shared the same music taste as him. He saw something that caught his eye and gasped, pulling out the record; "Paper Boy" and its B-Side "You're the One" by The Marvelettes. "I love most of these, but THIS!" Johnny started, "This is gold right here." 

Morrissey smiled, relieved that Johnny didn't think he was bizarre for being into such peculiar artists. "Perhaps we can listen to this once we've finished our project," Morrissey suggested. 

Johnny smirked. "I'd like that."

Both boys exchanged glances and smiled at each other, both looking into each other's eyes. Neither of them knew it at the time but at that moment, their hearts synchronized and beat at the same time, both falling for each other simultaneously. Johnny quickly looked away and immediately tried to diverting Morrissey's attention. "So! Where should we start with this project?"

"Good question," Morrissey responded, "I see there are 30 questions to be answered. Shall we start with the first 15 and call it a day?"

"Sounds fine. Oh! What time is it? I'm going to be meeting Mike and Andy around 5." 

Morrissey looked over at his clock. "It's roughly 4 o'clock."

"Alright, that should give us time."

The boys absentmindedly asked each other the questions and half-heartedly gave answers. "Birth sign?" Johnny asked him.

"Gemini, and you?"

"Scorpio," Johnny replied. "Ya' know, they say that Geminis and Scorpios are supposed to make quite the pair."

Morrissey looked away, attempting to conceal the fact that he was blushing. "Oh yeah?" he asked, "in what manner?"

"Well, the two are supposed to be opposites. But somehow, they feel drawn to one another. Like, um... Each person was meant to find the other, ya' know?"

"That's quite interesting. I don't think I could ever understand how a sign like yours and a sign like mine could ever be meant to complete each other like hand in glove, considering our friendship is as rocky as it is now," Morrissey jabbed. 

Johnny felt as if Morrissey had punched him in the chest; the very boy that he had fallen for moments ago had already rejected him. Johnny was stunned; he couldn't bear the amount of pain he was feeling and he certainly couldn't understand why he was in pain or why the pain was so intense. And just as he lost all hope, Morrissey spoke once more.

"But, these things take time, I suppose."

Johnny smiled, perhaps he had a chance after all?

"I'm sorry about how things started, Moz."

"It's quite alright, I'm used to getting bullied. Although, never from a charmer such as you." Morrissey blushed. 'Did I actually just say that?'

"My apologies," he added, "I just meant that usually the people bullying me are quite dull and well, idiotic. But you seem decent, perhaps even pleasant at moments." He smirked at Johnny.

"Thanks Moz. I-" Johnny looked at the clock. "Ah bloody hell! I've gotta go, I'm supposed to meet the guys. We'll work on this tomorrow, yeah?"

"Right. We can meet after school again, if you'd like."

"Sure. At the library again?"

"Sounds lovely."

"Alright, it's a date. See ya', Moz!" Johnny bolted out the door, accidentally slamming it behind him. "A date, huh?" Morrissey said to himself, "What a peculiar word for such an insignificant affair." He shrugged away the thought, he was sure it meant nothing. After all, who in their right mind would actually like Morrissey?

Johnny finally arrived at the tree where Andy and Mike liked to meet. "You're late," Mike said bluntly.

"Sorry Mike, I was at Moz's house working on the project."

Mike looked disgusted. "You're already giving each other nicknames? That's sick. Why do you hang out with that whiny little fag? Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Johnny paused. He really liked Morrissey and he had to make a choice: allow fear of being ridiculed by Mike to consume him or take a stand, let his "friend" know just how he feels. And Johnny knew exactly what he needed to do. "Yes," Johnny replied, "yes he is. I really like him and ya' need to stop treating us like shit." Before Mike had the opportunity to respond, Johnny walked away. He knew that it was going to be difficult, but something needed to be done.


	5. I Started a Project I Couldn't Finish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I made some edits on this chapter. I like to go through and see how I could improve the fic, so I edit anything I can. Since my friend is working on chapter 6, I made edits to better lead into chapter 6. I hope you guys don't mind.

The following school day, Johnny walked into class. Morrissey sat down right after him and smiled, as if to greet him. He smiled back; Morrissey could feel his heart begin to race. He had never felt this way about another human being before, this frightened him greatly. ‘What if Johnny doesn’t feel the same way? I’m quite fragile and I can’t afford to have my heart thrown in the gutter... Perhaps it’s best I mention nothing,’ he thought to himself.

Before he could think any further, Ms. Branka stood up and walked to the front of the class. “Alright, class,” she started, “this is the last day you have to work on your projects. I urge you to use your time wisely.”

Morrissey and Johnny wasted the whole period, discussing anything that came to mind. To Morrissey, it appeared as though they were closer friends than they were the day before and he didn’t mind. He would occasionally sneak glances at Johnny when he wasn’t looking. To him, Johnny was the most beautiful creature to walk the Earth; he grew increasingly depressed with the thoughts of being inadequate. Eventually the bell eventually rang and each boy said exchanged “goodbyes”, each heading to their respective classes.

The school day ended and Morrissey waited at the library for Johnny, this time early. ‘Had Johnny forgotten?’ Within moments, Johnny approached him.

“Hey Moz, I figured you’d be late.”

“Oh, no. I dread the thought of keeping you waiting.”

“Alright. Your place for the project, I’m guessin’?”

“Sure. You know the way,” Morrissey stated, gesturing for Johnny to come with him.

Both boys entered Morrissey’s home and went into his bedroom to resume working on the project. Johnny immediately raced over to the record player as he did last time, but with even more excitement. “Can we listen to the record now?” he pleaded, “we didn’t get to listen to it yesterday!” Morrissey chuckled. “Let’s get through some questions first, then we can listen to it. Sound like a plan?” Johnny nodded reluctantly, he couldn’t complain; at least he would be able to listen to the record after all.

After getting through questions such as “favorite color” and “favorite record”, Morrissey nodded at Johnny, indicating that it was time to play the record. Johnny dashed over to the record he had been eyeballing the day before. But rather than playing “Paper Boy”, he flipped it over to its B-Side “You’re the One”. At that moment, Morrissey’s heart sank; whenever he heard that song, he always thought of Johnny. He always felt as if the boy he had cared for so deeply wouldn’t ever the same way he did. His sadness was not lost on Johnny, he could tell that something was up with Morrissey. He sat down next to Morrissey on his bed. “You alright, Moz?” he asked.

Morrissey smiled and looked down, an odd expression he often made when he was upset. “You see,” he began, “there’s this guy I’ve had my eye on for quite some time and I fear that he doesn’t feel the same way about me.” He put his head down. “I believe that I’m quite unloveable and that he wouldn’t dare look my way.”

Johnny bit his lip; he was incredibly nervous to tell Morrissey how he felt. What if the guy he had his heart set on liked someone else?

“Moz..,” Johnny’s voice cracked, “Moz, I-” and without a second thought, Johnny pressed his lips against Morrissey’s with passion. Morrissey was beyond surprised; he could feel electricity shoot throughout his body. He was confused as to what he was feeling; he was hesitant, hardly kissing back. But within seconds, he lost himself in the heat of the moment and fired back with as much passion as Johnny. Morrissey rested his hands across Johnny’s face, keeping him in place while Johnny wrapped his arms around Morrissey’s waist and tightened the grip. Sparks flew between them, each boy feeling a rush of warmth and excitement; neither of them had felt anything like that before.

“I’m sorry, Moz. That was a stupid thing to do,” Johnny said, “I’ll go now.”

He got up and started heading for the door. Morrissey was stunned by the events that took place. His heart was pounding and he needed to decide: allow Johnny to walk away and possibly risk losing him, or try to stop him from leaving to discuss what is to come.

Morrissey jumped up and grabbed a hold of Johnny’s arm. “Wait,” he started, “Please... Stay.”

Johnny blushed and sat back down next to Morrissey.

“So I take it you feel the same way that I feel about you?”

“That sounds ‘bout right.”

“When did you realize such feelings existed?”

Johnny looked down. “The day I saw you in the library. When I walked up to you, I was going to kick your ass. But you looked at me and I stopped dead in my tracks, Moz.” Morrissey grinned to himself and Johnny started up again, “What about you?”

“When we were here in my room yesterday. You looked into my eyes and I was yours in an instant.”

“Wow,” Johnny marveled. “So what’re we gonna do about this?”

“Well as you can tell, I’ve never really loved.”

“And I’ve never had feelings for a bloke.”

“I supposed this could be some sort of twisted adventure for the two of us... If you’d have me.”

Instead of giving him a proper response, Johnny kissed him gently, as if not to break him. Morrissey smiled. “Is it safe to say that my heart belongs to you?” he asked Johnny.

“Only if it’s okay to say that my heart is yours.”

“Fine by me,” Morrissey whispered, planting a kiss on Johnny’s cheek.

They smiled at each other, both very excited to share their love with one another. Johnny looked at the clock. “I should get back, the guys’ll wonder where I am. We can talk more about us the next time I see you.”

Morrissey frowned and Johnny kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry, Moz,” Johnny began, “I’ll see ya’ at school tomorrow, alright?”

“Alright.”

“Hey,” Johnny said, gently placing his hand on Morrissey’s face. “I promise we’ll talk more.” 

Morrissey smirked. “Alright.”

Johnny smiled and walked out of the room and continued for the door. “Wait!” Morrissey called out to him.

“Yeah?”

“Would you like to, perhaps, spend the night tonight?”

Johnny beamed with excitement. “I thought you’d never ask,” he said, running back to Morrissey and kissing him once more.

“Wait, I need to grab my things. And since I have to walk, it’ll take me a little bit. Since it’s about 4:45, I’ll be back around 7. Do ya’ think you can wait that long?” Morrissey nodded.

“Okay, see ya’ in a little bit!” Johnny bolted out the foot in an effort to get home as quick as possible. Morrissey smiled to himself; he was looking forward to the night.


	6. You Knew Very Well What Was Coming Next

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait! My friend finally finished the chapter and it's incredible, I hope you guys like it!

Johnny walked out of Morrissey’s house, his legs still feeling a bit wobbly from the kiss. Even he didn't expect that, and he was the one who kissed Morrissey. Today had been good -- not only had he had a good day with a good friend, but it turned out that that good friend reciprocated his more-than-friendly feelings toward him. Johnny walked along with a spring in his step, thinking of how the rest of the night may play out.

Before he knew it he was in front of his house and walking up the drive. It was about 5:15 by this time. He fumbled for his keys in his pocket, then unlocked the door to find the house dark. All the shades were drawn and the television was left on some random station, and Johnny sighed as he saw his dad passed out drunk in an armchair, five empty beer bottles on the floor next to him and one left in his hand. “Bloody great,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. This wasn't an uncommon sight for Johnny, so he simply flipped off the tv and yanked the bottle out of his hand, setting it on the floor so he wouldn't drop it later and get a stain on the carpet. 

He huffed and went into the kitchen, heating up some leftover macaroni to have for dinner before he went over to Morrissey's (though they would probably eat there too, he just figured he should eat a little something beforehand). He then went upstairs, grabbing a black duffel bag off the top shelf of his closet and putting it on his bed, along with a change of clothes for tomorrow. He then went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, stepping into the warm water. He wanted to look good for Moz, after all. Thoughts of the taller boy filled his head as he scrubbed his unruly black hair, and he smiled at the thought of how potentially good this could be. 

He was still thinking of his -- boyfriend? He didn't quite know where they stood -- as he stepped out of the shower and dried himself with a towel, which he then wrapped around himself; he couldn't suppress the smile that had fought its way onto his face. He brushed and blow dried his hair, getting some gel and teasing it up a bit in the back, and then grabbed his toothbrush and hairbrush on the way out of the bathroom. He changed into some clean clothes -- blue jeans and a casual button-down -- and put the remaining items he needed in his bag. He finished getting ready (it looked like he was cutting it close with time, it was already 6:50 and it usually took around 15 minutes to walk to Morrissey’s house, possibly more), and began to walk down the hallway when he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Where the hell d’ya think you're goin’?” Johnny’s father slurred, standing menacingly by the door.

“I'm spending the night at a friend’s. I'll be back tomorrow.” Johnny tried to avoid eye contact with his drunk father as he slinked toward the doorway, but his father pushed his shoulder.

“No yer not, boy,” he sneered. “Ya know… I'm tired’a you. Hangin’ out with your no good friends, lookin’ like a sodden faggot all the time. Didn't yer old man teach you nothin’?”

Johnny cowered slightly at the insult, and at the memory of just what his father had been teaching him all his life. He and his beer and his fists, and occasionally his belt. He took a breath. “Please just let me go.”

His father let out a chuckle, raising his eyebrows at him. “Let ya go? I don' think so.” He took a step towards him and Johnny took a step back.

“Where's mum?” Johnny asked, hoping to distract his father.

“Your mummy? She yelled at me for drinkin’ and told me she'd be back, she ‘needed to go somewhere else for a few hours’. The whore.” He spat the last part, and Johnny’s anger instantly rose.

Not thinking about the potential consequences, he snapped, “Don't you fucking talk about my mum that way! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you!” After his minor explosion, Johnny silenced himself and looked up in fear at his father and what he knew was coming next.

“Now you're gonna get it, ya fuckin’ fag!” Before he could react, Johnny was on the floor holding his eye, which had just been punched. It hurt like Hell, but he quickly got up and managed to slip past his father, who was yelling out a barrage of insults as he ran out the door. 

Johnny breathed hard as he ran, struggling to keep his bag on his shoulder and also hold his eye, which he knew was now turning a shade of purple. He checked the time -- 7:10. “Fucking great,” he muttered under his breath as he sped along, feeling like a complete fuck-up. He was thinking of ways he could make it up to Moz, and quickly changed course toward the local flower shop. If he was going to show up late, the least he could do was show up with some flowers or something that could serve as a form of apology.

As he rounded the corner of the busy street he could see the flower shop a few storefronts ahead, and a lady standing on the outside locking up for the night. She was a kind-looking, older African American woman who wore a colorful floral dress that was fitting for the owner of a flower shop. Johnny ran towards her. “Please, wait!” He couldn't mess this up too.

The lady looked up, then saw his eye and general disheveled state, and her look softened. “Oh, honey…” She sympathized, then took a breath as she unlocked the door she had just locked a minute before. “Come on in. You look like you've had a rough day.” Johnny thanked her as he followed her into the darkened shop, wincing at the fluorescent light that flickered on after she flipped a switch. The lady studied him carefully as he quickly browsed the types of flowers she had, pacing the aisles back and forth and running his hands through his hair. “You don't seem like you're buying flowers just because you want to be sweet,” she joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Johnny looked up, a worried expression still on his face but he smiled a little at her. “I'm late to what I think might be my first date with someone I really like… I got uh… caught up in some other stuff earlier.”

“I can see that.” She raised her eyebrows as she wiped a spot on the counter. “You had a run-in with her ex?” She asked. Johnny appreciated her both lighthearted but concerned mood.

“Nah, nothing like that,” he smiled, picking up a bouquet of golden gladiolas and walking over to the register where she stood. “I uh… was rushing out the door and I tripped and knocked my head on the doorframe.” He scratched the back of his head, hoping she wouldn't sense his lie.

“Honey, people don't get marks like that from tripping over no door frame.” She smiled at him, then looked at the flowers he held. “Gladiolas? I always liked those. Pretty flowers. Are they your girlfriend’s favorite?” She asked.

“Actually uh… They're my boyfriend’s favorite,” he said sheepishly. He looked up to see her reaction, but only saw her kind smile. She looked him up and down.

“Well he's a lucky boy to have a sweet thing such as yourself lookin’ after him.”

Johnny blushed a little and smiled at his feet. He looked up at the woman, suddenly remembering his hurry. “So how much do I owe you for the flowers?”

“These ones are on the house -- you just have a good night and be safe.” She looked at his black eye as she said that last part. As if remembering something, she reached under the counter and pulled out a card and a pen. “You can write him a little something too if you want,” she offered him the pen and card with a smile and he took them, thanking her. He quickly wrote something down at the counter, thinking of something short but sweet.

“Sorry for being late, but I hope you like these flowers -- even if they're not as beautiful as you.”

He quickly signed his name and clicked the pen on the counter, grabbing the card and flowers. “Thank you so much, you're a lifesaver. Now I really have to go before I'm even more late!”

He started toward the door and the woman called behind him, “Have a good night, honey! And be careful out there!” Johnny smiled at her before he disappeared from sight, jogging down the street in the direction of Morrissey's house.

Johnny was silently cursing himself the whole way there, checking his watch with frequency as he ran. At one point he almost tripped over a fire hydrant but he narrowly avoided it at the last second (thankfully, nothing else could make him any more late). He checked his watch, 7:41. ‘How could all of this have taken so long?’ He thought. Soon enough Morrissey’s house was in sight, and a very late Johnny was greeted by a very distraught looking Morrissey once he opened the door.

“I was worried you had changed your mind about your feelings and decided not to come…” He trailed off as he saw Johnny’s eye. “What happened, are you okay? Come inside, I'll make you some tea, sit down.”

“It's nothing,” Johnny brushed it off as he took a seat on the couch. When Morrissey came back into the living room after turning on the kettle, he sat down on the couch next to Johnny and held his hand with concern, looking at his eye. Johnny just smiled though, holding out the flowers and card. Morrissey's expression turned from one of concern to one of appreciation, and he let out a bashful ‘thank you’ as he blushed and opened the card.

He read it and sat there smiling for a moment before looking over at Johnny and after a moment of hesitation, leaning in to kiss his cheek. Johnny turned at the last second and kissed him on the lips, however, and after they pulled away Morrissey’s face was a bright shade of pink. Johnny chuckled at him, before remarking on how adorable he was when he blushed, and kissing him on the cheek.

“Thank you for the flowers,” Morrissey said smiling. “Gladiolus are my favorite.”

“I know,” Johnny replied, smiling back.

They were interrupted by the loud whistle of the tea kettle in the kitchen, so Morrissey rushed up to make their tea. He returned a few minutes later with two mugs, and sat back down on the couch, handing one to Johnny.

After a few sips, Morrissey again turned his attention to Johnny’s eye. “Now please tell me what happened,” he pleaded, clearly concerned.

Johnny swallowed a mouthful of tea and waved his hand in the air. “I told ya, it's nothing. I uh… I tripped.”

“You don't get a black eye like that from tripping, Johnny,” Morrissey chided gently.

Johnny again tried to avoid the question, but finally sighed and told Morrissey, “I uh, I got in a fight.”

“With whom?” Morrissey asked, putting a hand on Johnny’s.

“One’a Mike’s asshole friends, it's nothing really.” He looked up at Morrissey, seeing if he could sense his lie. Luckily he seemed to accept Johnny’s answer, so he sat back in his chair, drinking his tea. “So uh, what d’ya want to do tonight?” Johnny asked, changing the subject.

“Well,” Morrissey started, “we could always begin by listening to some records?”

“That sounds good,” Johnny smiled, standing up and heading towards Morrissey’s room. Morrissey followed him inside and they both walked over to the record player. Johnny bent down to examine the records on the lower shelf below, and after a moment selected one and held it up for Morrissey to see. It was some girl pop group, and Morrissey nodded in approval before setting the record on the turntable and turning it on. Music filled the room, and Johnny flopped down on Morrissey’s bed, tired from earlier. Morrissey sat down next to him, and they stayed there enjoying the record and each other’s company for the remainder of that record. After it ended, they still laid there for a few minutes, staring up at the ceiling, until Johnny broke the silence:

“Oh wait, there's no more music.”

“You don't say,” Morrissey sassed.

With some amount of effort, Johnny hopped off the bed and went over to the records, started to look through them again, then stopped. “Are you hungry?” He asked, looking over at Morrissey.

After a moment of thought, Morrissey replied, “Actually, yes.” He sat up, thinking for a moment while Johnny looked at him. “Would you like something from here, or perhaps we could go somewhere and eat? It's a bit late, but both of our schedules have been hectic today.”

“Going somewhere sounds good,” Johnny replied, then smirked. “Like a date.”

At that last comment Morrissey blushed and tried to hide his face by turning to the side. Johnny laughed. “Well, where should we go for this supposed date?”

Johnny thought for a moment. “You ever been to iHop?”

Morrissey gave him a quizzical expression. “You mean the pancake house?”

“Yeah, the pancake house.”

“But it's past 8 o'clock.”

“So?”

“Pancakes are for breakfast.”

“They don't have to be,” Johnny said with a light laugh, going over to Morrissey and kissing him on the cheek.

Finally Morrissey chuckled and stood up, holding Johnny’s hands and looking at him before saying, “You lead an interesting life, Johnny Marr,” and with that the pair walked out the door hand-in-hand.

. . .

After a moderate walk, the two were entering the pancake house and getting seated. They scooted into a booth near the back of the restaurant, thanking their waiter before he rushed off to fetch two menus. Morrissey looked around, taking in his foreign surroundings while Johnny looked at him, admiring his features. When Morrissey finally looked back at Johnny his cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he realized that Johnny had been staring at him the entire time. 

They were interrupted when their waiter came back, however, handing them two menus and clasping his hands together. “Can I get you two anything to drink?” He asked in a friendly tone.

“I'll have a coffee,” Johnny stated, looking over to Morrissey.

“One for me too, thank you,” Morrissey asked politely.

“Okay, I'll be right back with your coffee,” the waiter said, walking into the kitchen.

“You drink coffee this late?” Morrissey asked, seemingly surprised.

Johnny leaned back in his seat, smiling at the other boy. “Why not?” The waiter came back, setting their coffees in front of them before rushing off to serve another party who had just walked through the door. “And apparently now you do too,” he laughed, nodding his head at Morrissey’s cup of coffee in front of him.

Morrissey looked down at his coffee, hesitating before grabbing a couple packs of cream and sugar out of the little bowls the waiter brought with the coffee. “It's a school night, you know,” he said, pouring the ingredients into the coffee and stirring it.

“Ah shit,” Johnny sighed. Apparently he had forgotten about school entirely. He shrugged as he poured an ungodly amount of sugar into his coffee and stirred it around before taking a sip.

They sat there a little while, sipping their coffees and conversing while occasionally looking at their menus, trying to decide what they wanted. As if on cue, once they had decided what they wanted to order, the waiter came over to their table. “What can I get for you guys?”

Johnny went first. “Uh, I'll have the buttermilk pancakes, please.” Again he looked over to Morrissey, “Moz?”

“And I'll have the blueberry pancakes, please,” Morrissey smiled as they each handed their menus to their waiter who repeated their order before going back into the kitchen.

“Blueberry, huh?” Johnny asked. “I've never tried those here before.”

“I've always loved blueberry pancakes. You can try some of mine when we get our food, if you'd like,” he offered.

“Sounds good.” Johnny took a long sip of his coffee, and the pair stayed silent for a few moments. “So uh… I kinda have to ask.” Johnny paused for a moment. “So are we officially like, boyfriend and… boyfriend now?”

This caught Morrissey's attention. After taking a breath, he said, “If you'll have me.”

“Absolutely,” Johnny smiled, reaching over to Morrissey's hand on the table. With this Morrissey seemed to let out a sigh of relief. They both laughed a little. “Why did you seem so worried if I would like you?” Johnny asked. “What's not to like?”

Morrissey's face grew a little sad. “Well… I always have this kind of nagging worry that people don't or won't like me. Call it low self confidence, if you will. I mean look at me, I'm a junior in highschool and I've never had a boyfriend before you.” He cheered up slightly at his last sentence.

“And that honestly surprises me,” Johnny added. “I mean, you're kind, charming in your own way… Not to mention pretty attractive too. I mean I didn't even really know I was into guys until I saw you in the library that day.”

Morrissey looked down at their joined hands on the table and smiled. “I'm glad I found you, Johnny.”

“And I'm glad I found you too, Moz.”

They were interrupted when they heard the clinking of plates approaching them, and they took their hands off the table as their waiter came over to their table holding their pancakes. “Alright, buttermilk pancakes with a side of whipped cream,” he set down the plate in front of Johnny, “and the blueberry pancakes.” He set down the plate in front of Morrissey and smiled at them both. “Can I get you anything else? More coffee?”

“More coffee would be nice, thank you,” Johnny said as the waiter reached onto the cart and pulled out a coffee pot, topping off both of their coffees. They said thank you as the waiter walked away, and then looked down at their pancakes. They looked delicious. “Man, I'm starving,” Johnny said as he spread some of the whipped cream onto the top pancake, then poured syrup all over the stack.

“Me too,” Morrissey agreed, pouring syrup on his own.

The two ate their pancakes happily, talking and laughing the whole time. Both were definitely more energized by the time they were done (due to both the coffee and the pancakes, which honestly weren't the best choices this late on a school night). After they finished their pancakes and coffee, the waiter brought their check, and Johnny insisted on paying for both of their meals. Morrissey thanked him, and the two walked out the door and into the cool night air.

“That was good,” Morrissey said happily, buttoning up his jacket.

“It was definitely good,” Johnny agreed, chuckling as he pulled his jacket closer around himself.

“And I feel strangely energized now,” Morrissey added. “Definitely not ready to go to sleep in an hour -- I usually go to bed around 10:30 on school nights.”

Johnny smiled at him. “Welcome to my life, eating pancakes at unreasonable hours and staying up till 3 in the morning on school nights.”

“You should really sleep more, that's probably why you're so tired all the time.”

“Eh.”

The two kept walking in a peaceful silence all the way back to Morrissey’s house, and at some point along the way their fingers found themselves laced together.

When they arrived at the door, both of them paused, not really wanting to go inside just yet. Morrissey was thinking when Johnny interrupted his thoughts.

“Hey, uh, want to go for a walk?”

“This late? But it's past the city curfew.”

“So? I go out all the time this late.”

“Yes but you don't seem to care about getting into trouble very much… I, on the other hand, do care about breaking the law.”

“Oh come on, Moz, loosen up a bit! It'll be fun. Besides, if we do somehow get caught -- which has only happened to me once -- we just apologize and say we were just on our way home.” When Morrissey was still looking at him skeptically, Johnny smiled down at his feet, then looked back up at him. “Please? You could use a little bit of fun.”

Morrissey thought for another moment, then gave in. “Very well… But I'm very much on the fence here, you may have to convince me a little more.”

With that they both smiled, and Johnny leaned up to kiss him. After he pulled away, Johnny grabbed his hand. “Let's go!”

They walked hand-in-hand, enjoying each other's presence and enjoying the cool night air. They talked and laughed, and occasionally Johnny stopped Morrissey to give him a peck on the cheek before they kept going. Lovestruck would definitely be an accurate term to describe them.

Eventually they ended up at a small park, which was completely empty due to the hour that it was -- by now around 10:40pm. They sat on the cold equipment and stared out at the vacant streets that in the daytime bustled with people. At one point Johnny even convinced Morrissey to go on the swings with him (by the end it turned into a competition on who could swing the highest). When they had their fill of the park, they emerged back onto the sidewalk and stopped.

“Where to now?” Morrissey asked, looking over at Johnny.

Johnny thought for a moment until a smile broke out on his face. “I have an idea -- but it's a surprise. Come with me!” And with that, Morrissey was being dragged by the arm by an eager Johnny.

After some walking, they ended up at a vacant lot, surrounded by a broken down white picket fence and with a single tree in the middle. Some flowers grew by the edge of the lot, and the rest was covered in lush grass. “Come on,” Johnny smiled, stepping over the fence where it was broken and easy to step over.

“This is trespassing,” Morrissey said timidly.

“This is fun,” Johnny replied.

With that Morrissey stepped over the fence and into the lot, looking around him in awe. It really was a beautiful place, and being shown this by Johnny made it even better. They walked over to the tree in the center of the lot, and sat down at its base.

After a few minutes, Morrissey spoke. “You're right, I did need a little fun in my life. I'm actually really enjoying myself right now.”

Johnny looked over at him. “I'm glad.” After another minute Johnny spoke again. “You know, this is the place where me and my friends go to smoke pot.”

Morrissey looked surprised. “Why are you telling me this?”

Johnny seemed to ignore Morrissey’s question and leaned his head back against the tree, looking straight ahead of him. “It used to be my special place I'd go to to think, before we used it for that… I remember in freshman year, that's when Mike’s parents found out about us smoking in his basement and banned us from there, so we had to find a new place. Nobody knew any place where we could go, but then I remembered this empty lot and I told them about it. I kinda wish I hadn't…” Morrissey nodded and shifted himself so he was facing Johnny, leaning the side of his head against the tree and looking at him. The side with Johnny’s black eye was facing him, and it looked much worse in the moonlight. Johnny looked over at him, exposing the untouched side of his face. “I brought you here because it's still my special place, in a way. And this is the one place I have where I can just sit and think, and not have everything I do be judged by my parents or dad or anyone around me. It's kinda been my home since elementary.”

Morrissey spoke softly, “What about your actual home?”

Johnny sighed and brushed it off, beginning to pick at the grass. “I just like it here.” Johnny shot a quick glance at Morrissey to see if he would buy it, then quickly averted his gaze when he saw Morrissey’s blue eyes staring at him. He looked concerned, and slightly suspicious.

“Johnny,” he started slowly, “is there something wrong at home?”

“What?” Johnny looked up at him, acting shocked. “No, everything's fine. Why would you ask that?”

“Well ever since you showed up here with flowers and a black eye you've avoided every single thing I ask about what happened -- and about your home life. So I must ask, Johnny Marr, is there anything unpleasant happening at home?”

Johnny took a moment, staring at Morrissey and biting his lip. “No,” he finally said. “No, nothing's wrong.” He smiled at him, and stood up in front of him, extending a hand down to help him up. Morrissey got up, and leaned against the tree behind him and looking at Johnny. Johnny saw that he still looked suspicious. “Look, I promise, nothing is wrong.” And with that he kissed him, pulling away after a minute. “Let's go home,” he said, and Morrissey complied.

The pair arrived back at Morrissey’s house at around 2am, and after they got inside Morrissey suggested that they get some rest before school the next day -- or rather, today.

Soon they were ready for bed and climbed into their respective sleeping places, Morrissey in his bed and Johnny in a pile of blankets on the floor.

“Goodnight, Moz.”

“Goodnight, Johnny.”


	7. Fifteen Minutes With You

Morrissey slowly began to open his eyes and look around him. Since he was without his glasses and contact lenses, he couldn’t see much at all; everything was a blur. Upon looking around, all he could see was Johnny who had made himself into a blanket burrito. He smiled, admiring at how adorable his boyfriend could be. Johnny rolled over onto his side, exposing the black eye he received the night before. Yet somehow, with a black eye, Johnny Marr still managed to look beautiful.

Morrissey put on his glasses and looked at the clock. It read 7:39 AM. He sprung out of bed, kneeling beside Johnny and shaking him in attempt to wake him, “Johnny!” he shouted, making him grunt and turn on his side. Morrissey shook him to wake him once more, whispering, “Johnny! Come on, darling. We must go to school.” Johnny opened his eyes and yawned, “Can’t we just go in a little later?”  
“Come on, class starts at 7:45. If we leave in a couple of minutes, we will only be 10 minutes late.”  
“Alright, alright... Let’s get going.”

Both boys started to get ready; Morrissey slipping on a New York Dolls t-shirt and jeans whilst Johnny put on a black t-shirt, jean jacket, and jeans. Morrissey quickly made his bed and gathered his school materials. Before he could exited his bedroom, Johnny stopped him. “Hey, Moz?” he called out questioningly.  
“Yes?”  
“Would it be okay if I kept my things here? I don’t want to lug it around all day and I’ll come get them right after school.”  
“I don’t see why not.”  
“Great, thanks Moz,” he replied, kissing Morrissey on the cheek. “Come on,” Johnny started, “let’s get to school. Perhaps we can hang out after school again.”  
Morrissey grinned in response. “I’d like that.”  
They entered the building where their class was held. As Johnny approached the classroom door, he reached for the handle to enter. “Wait!” Morrissey whispered, startling Johnny half to death.  
“What is it, Moz?” At that moment, Morrissey leaned in and pulled Johnny in by the waist, gently kissing his lips, which, in turn, made Johnny’s cheeks flush with a red color. “Alright, now let’s go in,” Morrissey added before opening the door.

As they walked into the classroom, everyone stared at them and sneered. Ms. Branka rolled her eyes at the pair. “Mr. Marr, it appears that your rebellious behavior has started to have an effect on Morrissey,” she commented.  
“Sorry we’re late, Ms. Branka. Won’t happen again.” Johnny didn’t mean any word of it, but he had no intentions of facing her wrath; being apart of her class was bad enough.  
“Well since you two were both late, why don’t you present your project to the class?” The boys looked at each other; they had completely forgotten to finish it. “Fine,” Morrissey started, “we’ll go now.”

They walked to the front of the classroom. Various whispers and gasps were exchanged amongst the class as everyone laid eyes on Johnny’s black eye. But the loudest of all came from none other than Mike Joyce; he laughed as hard as he could.  
“Oh piss off, Joyce,” Johnny stated coldly, he wasn’t going to deal with Mike’s bullying. Naturally, Mike didn’t listen and started up again. “Looks like someone got a little kinky last night!” The entire class laughed in response.  
“That’s not what happened.”  
“Aw, did you get into a fight with your little boyfriend last night?”

Morrissey held his head in his hands and Johnny shook his head with anger. The class was silent until Mike inquired once more. “Well he is your boyfriend, isn’t he?” Everyone continued to stare at Johnny, almost as if they were expecting him to say no. Morrissey glanced over at Johnny with confusion in his eye. ‘What is he going to do?’

Johnny looked directly into Morrissey’s eyes. Without saying a word, he placed his hands gently on Morrissey’s face and pressed his lips against the confused boy, causing him to turn red. Everyone, including Mike, gasped in awe. Even Morrissey himself was surprised by the public display of affection! But rather than pulling away, he wrapped his arms around Johnny’s waist and pulled him in tighter. Johnny let go and clutched Morrissey’s hand within his own, interlocking their fingers. “Yes, he is my boyfriend,” he announced proudly. “We didn’t finish the assignment, but I can certainly tell you about him.” Morrissey smiled and kissed Johnny on the cheek.  
“His favorite color is blue, he’s a Gemini, he loves to read and listen to girl pop groups and The New York Dolls. His favorite flowers are gladiolas, he doesn’t like to break rules, and he loves blueberry pancakes.”

Morrissey blushed before starting his half. “His favorite color is also blue, he is a Scorpio, he enjoys the song ‘You Are the One’ by The Marvelettes, he is quite the rule breaker, and he likes to go out for pancakes at unreasonable hours of the night.” Ms. Branka, as well as the rest of the class, was in awe of them. They were able to present facts about another without actually finishing the assignment. She stood up from behind her desk. “Normally I would fail you two for not finishing this project and give you detentions for PDA... However, you two have demonstrated that you connect with one another, therefore I will let it slide. A’s for both of you. Well done, boys, you may be seated.”

Time went on and more presentations followed, but it appeared that nobody knew each other as well Morrissey and Johnny knew one another. Ms. Branka, being completely and utterly disappointed in the class, sighed and began to scold them. “That was terrible. Almost no one could remember anything about their partners. Next time, I expect better results for other school projects, okay? Okay. You guys are Honors students, get yourselves together. Other than that, hang tight and when the bell rings, you are dismissed.”

The bell rang and everyone was rushing to get to their next class of the day. Morrissey and Johnny left the classroom hand-in-hand, on their merry way. Loud footsteps approached them, getting closer and closer until a large enough force cut between them, separating the two boys. “Later, fags!” Mike shouted, continuing to run after breaking the bond between their hands. 

Morrissey felt lost in the sea of people and he began to panic. Where was Johnny? Why did Mike have to be such an ass? People bumped into him left and right, causing him to become disoriented. Amongst the confusion and the chaos, a hand reached out and clutched one of his own, pulling him out of the hustle and bustle of the crowd. With enough force, Morrissey was now separate from the crowd and warm arms now surrounded his body. A light laughter filled the tense air. “Don’t worry, I won’t leave you behind.” It was Johnny!  
“I was almost certain that you would leave me behind.”  
“Never! I couldn’t do that to you.” And with that, Morrissey smiled at him and they continued their way to their respective classes.

....................

Johnny met Morrissey at the library and the pair walked back to Morrissey’s house. As they approached the door and went inside, they were surprised. “Hello, Steven,” a female voice called to him. “Mum? Is that you?”

The two slowly entered Morrissey’s home, curious to discover the identity of the woman inside. Once they entered the kitchen, Morrissey saw his mother reaching for a cup in the cupboard. “I thought you weren’t going to be back until Sunday?” he questioned. His mother got the cup she was looking for and began to fill it with water. “Yes, but the conference ended early, so they let us go...” She trailed off as she saw Johnny appear into view. “Oh? Who’s this?” she questioned with a smile. “Um, mum, this is my...” he looked back tentatively at Johnny, who gave him a reassuring smile. “This is my boyfriend, Johnny,” he stated with a little more confidence in his voice. His mother studied the two for a moment, then smiled, walking over to Johnny and shaking his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Johnny,” she said.  
“It’s nice to meet you too, ma’am,” Johnny replied politely.  
“Please, call me Betty.” She began to examine Johnny further, noticing the black eye. “Oh my! Are you alright, sweetheart?” Johnny was puzzled momentarily until recalling the events of the night before. “Oh, this? I’m alright, ma’am- Betty. Just another battle wound,” he replied frantically.  
“What happened, dear?”  
“I, uh...” He looked over at Morrissey, who now had a worried expression spread across his face. “I was on my way to see your son when a guy I know from school started mouthing off about him... I couldn’t sit and allow him to say bad things about him, so I decked him and, well, I faced the consequences of my actions,” he lied. It was convincing enough, Betty and Morrissey both seemed to buy it. “Alright, well please, make yourself at home,” Betty said, walking over to her son and gave him an adoring pinch on the cheek, which resulted in a shy, “Mum...”

Johnny let out a small chuckle from where he was leaning against the kitchen doorway. He looked over at Morrissey with a smile. “Well,” Morrissey began, “we are going to go in my room for awhile.”  
“Okay, sweetie,” Betty replied, “I will be in the kitchen if you need me.”

....................

Both boys were now wrapped in blankets and in each other’s arms, sharing laughs in between kisses, enjoying the company they shared. Hours passed them by at the blink of an eye and before they knew it, Johnny needed to return home to his wretched father. But of course, Johnny didn’t have the courage to tell him the fate he would suffer if he doesn’t return home quick enough.

Morrissey looked up at Johnny who had gotten out of bed and was grabbing his backpack. “Are you sure you have to go?” he asked, “it’s 10:45, wouldn’t it be safer if you stayed here again tonight? Considering what happened to you, I just don’t want you to get hurt again at my expense...” he found himself trailing off. Johnny was touching his own face, wincing at the pain. Even he had forgotten about his black eye. “I’m sorry, Moz,” Johnny responded wistfully, looking down, “...but the guys wanted me to go over to Andy’s. We were going to possibly start writing a tune.” 

Although it was quite plausible, Morrissey felt as if something was wrong, as if Johnny was hiding things from him. “Johnny..,” he began, “are you positive that nothing’s going on?”  
“I’m positive, now drop it.”  
“Alright, I’m sorry... I just wish that you could stay.”  
Johnny chuckled. “Oh, I know. Believe me, if I could have just 15 more minutes with you, I’d be a happy guy. But I do have go now...” He leaned in to kiss Morrissey gently. “I’ll see you Monday, alright?” Morrissey smiled and nodded. As Johnny walked out into the kitchen, he said a quick, but meaningful goodbye to Betty before exiting the house altogether.

Johnny’s words before leaving made an impression on him. He felt inspired, saddened, and even romantic. At last, he opened his mouth to sing softly to himself: 

Fifteen minutes with you... well, I wouldn’t say no...

He thought of the way everyone laughed at them in class and how Mike treated Johnny so poorly and inspiration struck again:

...people see no worth in you. Oh, but I do...

It was wondrous! For quite some time, he had no inspiration or willpower to write and now, his ability came back. Overcome with positive emotion and determination, he ran to the kitchen to see his mother. “Mum? Could I ask you for large favor?”  
“What is it, love?” Betty asked, genuinely curious because she has never seen her son happy in the entirety of his life.  
“I was wondering if I could stay home from school this week. I started to write something and Johnny came to mind and-”  
“Say no more,” she said, interrupting him with a grin on her face, “go on, keep writing!”  
“Thanks, mum!” he shouted, hugging her out of excitement (something he never does) and ran back to his room. He was on the verge of something truly groundbreaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So sorry to keep you guys waiting! I've had so much going on the last few months and it became really hard to work on this. But, I got it done and I should be updating more frequently again. I hope you guys like it!


	8. Reel Around The Fountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny finds a week without Morrissey to be unbearable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! So sorry for the very long wait on this chapter, my co-author forgot to finish it. But the wait is over now!! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did. :)

Monday  
Johnny walked into school only partially awake, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes; the day had just begun and he was already tired. His first two classes went by pretty smoothly (though it may have helped that he wasn’t hardly paying attention), but Morrissey didn’t make an appearance in English first period. Johnny wondered if he was sick or simply late, but was happy to go to his ten minute break once the bell rang to say hello to the guys.

“Morning, Andy, morning, Mike,” he said lazily as he walked past each of them in turn, deliberately not saying hi to Craig. After a minute, however, he gave Craig a small smile. Morrissey didn’t appear to be around, Johnny figured he must be sick. He spent the remainder of the break talking with Andy about some music thing, until the bell rang and he went to his third class, pre-calculus -- a truly riveting subject (not). “At least Craig is in that class, I suppose he’s better than nothing,” Johnny thought. Pre-calculus was even more boring than usual today, and to top it all off Morrissey wasn't there. And so the day went on (and on and on, it seemed, as Mondays often do) until the final bell rang, and Johnny was freed from the prison commonly referred to as public school.

Though he may have been liberated from school for the day, his home life was no picnic either. Usually Johnny would hang out with Mike and Andy, or more so in recent weeks Morrissey, but he didn't feel up to it today. He was just going to open the door and slip quietly upstairs, avoiding his father in his room until he inevitably had to come down to the kitchen to eat something, then go back into hiding until school the next morning.

But of course, life wasn't that easy on him; when he opened the door to his house, his father was sitting in his armchair, already two beers in.

“Aye, Johnny!” He whistled at him. “Come get your pop another beer, eh?”

Johnny took a breath, staying close to the door. “Where's mom?” He asked.

“Did you not hear me, boy? I said to go get your father another fuckin beer.” Wanting to avoid conflict but knowing he was doing the wrong thing, Johnny reluctantly walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a beer, handing it over to his father who snatched it from him. “‘At’s my boy,” he mumbled, drinking a quarter of it in one gulp. “Yer mum’s upstairs, as usual.”

Grateful that his father hadn't exploded at him, Johnny walked upstairs to his room, passing his mother’s room on the way. As he passed by her open door, she called out sweetly to him. “Johnny? How was school today?”

“Eh,” Johnny mumbled, setting down his backpack.

“I'm surprised you're not out with your friends, I usually don't see you till a little before dinner.”

“I didn't feel like going out today,” he replied simply, and started to walk away. “Aye mum, what's for dinner tonight?”

“I'm making macaroni and steamed veggies, will you be here?”

“Yeah I will. Thanks mum.” With that Johnny walked into his room and did some schoolwork, and before he knew it the next day was upon him.

Tuesday  
Today it rained. That was about the only notable thing about this Tuesday, as when Johnny got to school, he found that Morrissey was still out. At least he got all his work done for once in his life. Soon the first few classes of the day went by, and the bell for lunch rang. When Johnny got to the spot under the stairs where he and his fellow hooligans sat, he saw Mike and Andy talking about something a little farther away from the group than usual, so Johnny took his lunch and sat down next to the only available member, Craig.

“Hey, Craig,” Johnny offered with a sigh.

Craig looked up at Johnny, seeming slightly surprised. “Uh hey, Johnny.”

“What's up?”

“Uh… just eating a sandwich.” Craig was puzzled as to why Johnny was suddenly talking to him. However, his moment of pleasant surprise was cut short when Johnny mumbled a hollow “cool,” and got up to talk to Mike and Andy.

“Hey Johnny,” they both said almost in unison.

“Hey guys,” Johnny replied. “D’you guys know where Morrissey went off to?”

Andy looked at Mike and Mike shrugged. Andy replied, “We figured you knew, you know, since you're his boyfriend and all.” This bit was said with a surprising lack of giggles and attitude, and Johnny blinked to make sure he was hearing things right. Wait, what?

Johnny shook his head. “I figure he must be sick. Lucky bastard, the lectures in class are so boring this week. I'm sure he's having a much grander time at home.” Johnny got lost in thought for a moment. “I'm sure Moz is having a good old time,” he thought. “He's probably doing something poetic, like writing poetry beside his window and watching the rain, like he's in a bloody music video.” He giggled to himself. “Maybe I ought to pay him a visit, bring him some soup or something. Moz likes soup, right? Who doesn't like soup. Well shit now I've made myself hungry, luckily the cafeteria is serving something edible today--”

“Johnny!” Mike shouted, laughing a little. Johnny was snapped out of his thoughts. “Earth to lover boy, you still there?”

“Uh yeah, sorry,” Johnny laughed at himself.

“Anyway, we were trying to tell you that we're calling off band practice today because Mike can't haul his drums to my house in the rain--” Andy was cut off by the bell, and soon they all said goodbye and headed to their last classes of the day.

. . .

Little did Johnny know that sitting by his window writing and watching the rain was exactly what Morrissey was doing. With the dim light of the window on his paper and Johnny on his mind, he filled the page with lines of poetic ink. Every now and then his mother asked if he needed anything or brought him a cup of coffee, but for the most part Morrissey stared out the window and thought of what other things he could write. Unbeknownst to Johnny, he was formulating a song. A song about Johnny. “But,” Morrissey thought as he added another line to the page, “he won't know that until I have perfected it.” And he kept true to his word, spending the remainder of that entire week out of school and swimming in his inspiration, until his song was eventually complete.

\--

Wednesday  
“Bloody hell,” Johnny mumbled as he walked to his spot during break to find that not just Morrissey, but also Mike and Andy, were absent today. There was only Craig. And as Johnny approached with dragging feet, Craig looked up at him with that cheerful smile that Johnny couldn't stand.

“Good morning, Johnny,” Craig said.

“Yeah, mornin.” Johnny dropped his bag onto the ground and plopped down next to Craig, a bored expression on his face.

After a few moments of silence, Craig spoke up. “Do you know where Morrissey’s at?”

“Why do you want to know?” Johnny immediately asked. He didn't trust Craig around Morrissey, even though deep inside Johnny knew nothing would ever happen, and that Craig was basically a shy, cheery twelve-year-old in a sixteen-year-old’s body.

“Well,” Craig began. “It's just that you seem kinda down without him here, and I'm sure he misses you too. The last time you saw him was Friday, right?”

“Yep,” Johnny replied with a sigh. “Five days, and counting. I'm sure he must be pretty sick but I feel like he should at least call, you know?”

“Well, have you called him?”

“No, I haven't.” Johnny laid back on the raised concrete square they sat on. “I didn't want to bug him. He's probably working on some bit of writing too. He’s brilliant, he’s marvellous - you know, I miss him. I haven’t seen him for a week and I really miss him… Why the hell am I telling you all this?”

Craig was silent, then smiled at Johnny, who had finally seemed to open up to him.

Johnny suddenly sat up. “What are you all smiling about?”

“Nothing,” Craig said, still smiling.

“Ah whatever,” Johnny sighed. “You're all who’s here today. Don't think that meant anything,” he added. God forbid he let Craig know that he could actually stand him.

. . .

After school, Johnny walked home, as usual. He got inside and his father was asleep on the couch, which was a welcoming sight. Johnny went upstairs and dropped his rucksack on the floor of his room, then laid down on his bed, flat on his back, taking a deep breath. Then he had an idea. He went into the bathroom and fixed his hair, and made himself look nice. He decided he was going to walk over to the Italian place on the way to Morrissey's and bring him some soup. “That ought to be a pleasant surprise,” he thought. Smiling to himself, he grabbed his wallet and keys and made his way down the stairs. He was about to walk out the door when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Where the hell d’ya think yer goin?” His father slurred.

Johnny’s heart sunk as he realized he most likely was not going to be able to make his visit tonight. Panicked, he stuttered out: “I-- nowhere, I was just--”

“You-was-just not going anywhere, not while I'm standing here. You tryin’ to run, huh? Go play with your faggot friends? Oh no, yer not.”

Johnny couldn't get any words out, only a defeated whimper and a helpless glance at the staircase that led up to his mother’s room (who probably wasn't hearing any of this, and even if she could, she couldn't do anything about it). 

Before he knew it, his father followed his gaze to the staircase and a wickedly amused smile appeared on his face. “Oh, you wanna ask your mummy for help? You going to cry to mum?” He grabbed Johnny’s skinny arm with a vice-like grip that would most likely leave a bruise later, and pulled him towards the stairs. “Go to yer mum, hide up there like the queer coward you are.”

Johnny was frozen, not knowing what to do; he was afraid. This silence was broken, however, by his father yelling “GO!” and knocking him into the staircase. Johnny hit the side of his head hard, but got up and ran up the stairs as his father laughed and shouted some other insult at him -- he didn't want to stay down there and find out what else he would do. As he passed by his mother’s door he saw her sitting on the bed, and for a moment their tear-filled eyes met.

\--

Thursday  
A long day. A defeated one. Nothing particular of note here, except for that Morrissey was still absent, and Johnny was not going back to that house until he absolutely had to. He was going to ask Mike and Andy to hang out, but the two appeared to be missing from both breaks at school today. Johnny shrugged it off and continued on with his day and his boring classes.

. . .

After the last bell of the day rang, Johnny picked up his stuff and walked out of the front of the school, then, he decided, to wherever his feet would take him. Soon enough, they ended up taking him to the abandoned lot with the tree in the center that he and his friends frequented.

Johnny walked up to the lot, but stopped as he saw that two figures were already sitting under the tree. As he looked closer, he realized that those two figures were Andy and Mike. They were sitting very close together and appeared to be talking about something, and… Mike had his arm around Andy? “What the hell,” Johnny whispered to himself, but then his already-surprised face turned into one of disbelief as Mike, who appeared to be comforting Andy, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Andy responded by smiling and holding Mike’s hand. Johnny responded by puking a little in his mouth.

Not wanting them to notice him and realize that he'd seen them, he slowly backed away behind the wall from which he emerged just before he saw all this, then ran down the street. “What the hell?” He said out loud to himself, still not believing what he had just seen. “Andy and Mike? Dating? Fuckin gross, I don't want to think about two of my best friends snogging.” As he walked further down the street, he thought, “Wait, if they were gay all along then why did they keep making fun of me and Moz? What blokes.” 

He shook his head and laughed a little as he walked down the street and eventually back towards his house. “Andy and Mike,” he said aloud, shaking his head while a bewildered smile lay on his face.

\--

Friday  
“Thank God for Friday. Friday, my saving grace,” Johnny thought in an exaggeratedly romantic voice as he walked to his first class. He was in better spirits today, but was still a little sad that Morrissey was still gone -- he really did miss him. But, he decided, today he was going to visit him. Straight after school this time, so there was no way he could be interrupted. This thought is what got him through the day and made it seem to go by so much faster.

Before he knew it, it was lunch (he was busy making up a quiz during his 10 minute break, so this was his first break of the day). As he walked around the corner to his spot under the stairs, he saw that Mike and Andy were back again today. Something about seeing those two here made a very slight, embarrassed blush emerge on his cheeks. He was no longer able to look straight at them without thinking of what he saw yesterday.

“What's on your face?” Andy asked, pointing at Johnny’s pink pigment.

“Eh he's probably just thinking about his delicate flower of a boyfriend,” Mike answered with a smirk.

“Ah shove it, Mike,” Johnny replied, realizing that Mike was only teasing him. “Besides--” he was about to say something, but he stopped himself, not wanting to give away the fact that he knew that Andy and Mike were also delicate flowers.

“Besides what?” Craig interrupted from his spot a few feet away.

“Besides your sister,” Johnny quipped back, and then the bell rang.

Johnny walked to his next class with a triumphant smirk on his face.

. . .

Finally both the school day and the school week were over, and Johnny walked out of school and over to the Italian restaurant he intended to go to two days earlier to get Morrissey some soup. He got a container of delicious-smelling vegetable and rice soup (he would have gotten chicken noodle since that was supposed to be good when you're sick, but since Morrissey was a vegetarian he picked the next best thing) and carried it carefully down the street in the paper bag they gave him. On the walk to Morrissey's house he found a particularly beautiful flower growing at the edge of someone's yard, so he plucked it from the ground and carried it with him. He took a deep breath and smiled, feeling perhaps the happiest he'd felt all week.


End file.
